Last but not least: Danone blithely promises health promotion from Acitmel in Switzerland
Danone is under fire in the EU for making unverifiable advertising claims about its Actimel drinkable yogurt. The consumer organization Foodwatch even awarded Danone the 2009 Golden Windbag for the most brazen advertising lie of the year. In Switzerland, Danone continues to cheerfully promise that its drinkable yogurt promotes good health—with a money-back guarantee.
In sales, money-back guarantees are usually purely promotional. Sara Stalder, Managing Director of the Foundation for Consumer Protection, told Cash.ch that the Danone ad was a scam. The money-back clause is a false seal of approval for a product whose health-promoting effect can hardly be proven. As Christoph Spinner, cantonal chemist for Thrugau, told Cash.ch, claims for the health benefits of food products are prohibited and are therefore in a legal gray area. In Switzerland, this is controlled at cantonal level. Now the EU wants scientific proof from so-called health food suppliers who advertise health-promoting effects. In Switzerland, an adaptation of the Food Act to EU law is planned.
